EXCLUSIVE TRAINING- 3 Stages of Client Buying & How to Market to Each
CEO, I am so excited to share with you an EXCLUSIVE training from my Facebook Group, The Part-Time CEO. This beautiful, powerful community of entrepreneurs found it so helpful, that I just had to share it with you.
Knowing who you’re marketing to is critical to growing your business. But knowing how you’re marketing to them is even more important to the results you get from your business strategy.
Growing your client base and increasing your revenue depends on your ability to send the right message to the right prospects at the right time. Understanding the buying stages that everyone goes through helps you deliver the messages that resonate with your ideal clients and compel them to take action.
“When your clients are in the pre-buying stage, that’s not the time to make hard calls to action. The pre-buying stage is the opportunity for you to plant seeds.” - Janelle Lara (7:50-8:17)
There are three stages in the buying process. Every single person who will ever work with you will go through three stages of buying. The time frame varies, but the stages don’t. Many entrepreneurs are still in the dark about how to market to each one. As a result, they struggle to get clients consistently while their prospects move on to competitors who are marketing more effectively. Does this sound like you? You aren’t alone! Keep reading to learn more about the stages, and how to market strategically in each one.
The 3 Stages of Client Buying
#1: The Pre-Buying Stage
The pre-buying stage is when your prospect has yet to discover they have a problem. They don’t know about you or your business, and they don’t realize they need your services.
The first stage is when you plant the seeds that will bear fruit down the line. This isn’t the time to use hard calls to action (CTA). Instead, plant seeds by creating marketing assets that deliver value to your future clients.
Ask questions that help prospects become aware of their problem and shift their thinking about the goals they want to achieve. Use the marketing assets you create as lead magnets you can offer to anyone who might benefit from your expertise. Spend time in Facebook or LinkedIn groups offering value to others. Again, you’re planting seeds of awareness that primes your prospects for the upcoming buying stages.
#2: The Recognition and Search Stage
In the second buying stage, your prospect recognizes they have a problem and need help solving it. This is the stage where they begin to look for someone who can help them. They look for an expert, coach, or other service providers with the skills and expertise they need.
Marketing in the second buying stage is equivalent to nurturing the soil after you’ve planted the seeds. Nurture prospects by building relationships, reaching out to them, and offering support. Give them the resources that get them closer to their goal while thanking them for being a part of your community. Continue to deliver value so they can move to the third client buying stage.
“If you’re not getting clients consistently, it’s probably because you’re skipping one of the three client buying stages in your sales funnel.” - Janelle Lara (3:57-4:09)
#3: The Ready-to-Buy Stage
The third buying stage is when the prospect is aware of their problem, and they have an urgent need to have someone help them solve it. Imagine your prospect standing there with their credit card in hand, begging for someone to make them an offer.
This is when you make hard calls to action that compel prospects to take the next step into your sales process. Entrepreneurs often struggle with making offers and letting people know how prospects can work with them. You need to remember that the ready-to-buy stage doesn’t last long. Your prospect is ready to buy, and they’ll either buy from you or from one of your competitors. So create powerful calls to action and invite your prospects to enroll in your services.
Too many entrepreneurs are skipping one or more of these buying stages. They’re not planting seeds, nurturing their prospects, or making direct calls to action often enough. When you understand the three stages and how to market effectively in each one, you create a customized marketing strategy that aligns with each stage at the right time. You’ll reach prospects who’ll benefit from working with you while making sales an easier and more profitable part of your business.
How to get involved
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For more resources, information on my coaching services, and a whole community of Part-Time CEOs, find me on Facebook at The Part-Time CEO® Group, my website, or email me at janelle@janellelara.com.
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